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LARGEMOUTH BASS VIRUS DETECTED
AT CRAWFORD STATE LAKE
Kansas becomes 18th state to document virus
July 28, 2007 - Kansas Department of Wildlife
and Parks (KDWP) fisheries staff have confirmed the presence
of largemouth bass virus (LMBV) at Crawford State Fishing Lake
in southeast Kansas. Testing of bass from the lake was conducted
in response to recent declines in Crawford bass populations.
KDWP staff have begun an aggressive program of
monitoring for the virus, particularly at Farlington Fish Hatchery,
which uses Crawford State Fishing Lake for its water supply.
"We aren't going to move any fish from the
Farlington hatchery until testing for the presence of the virus
there is completed," said Doug Nygren, KDWP fisheries section
chief. KDWP staff at fish hatcheries in Pratt and Meade also
are monitoring for the virus at those facilities. Milford Fish
Hatchery is currently undergoing renovation and is out of production
this year.
One of more than 100 naturally-occurring viruses
that affect fish, LMBV was first documented in Lake Weir in Florida
in 1991, and has since occurred in 17 other states: Alabama,
Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana,
Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South
Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.
KDWP biologists, like other fisheries scientists
around the country, are working to learn more about the virus
and its impact on the resource. Scientists do not know enough
yet about the virus to determine if it will have long-lasting
effects on bass populations although it appears from early occurrences
across the U. S. that it does not cause long-term harm to fisheries.
While other fish species -- including smallmouth
bass, spotted bass, bluegill, white crappie, and black crappie
-- have been infected with the virus, it has so far proved to
be fatal only for largemouth bass.
"It's troubling for a variety of reasons,"
Nygren said. "Largemouth bass are among the most popular
sportfish species in Kansas, so any incident that reduces bass
populations is cause for concern. And while we and our counterparts
around the country are learning more about the virus every day,
there are many unknowns."
LMBV is not readily apparent in fish. Infected
fish typically show no signs of the disease and appear completely
normal. Adult bass of two pounds or more seem to be the most
susceptible to the virus. Summer water temperatures appear to
be one variable that increases the lethality of the virus; almost
all bass die offs documented in other states have occurred from
June through September. Scientists do not know how the virus
is transmitted or how it is activated into a disease, and no
cure is currently known.
The virus is not known to infect any warm-blooded
animals or humans. Common-sense precautions are recommended,
such as thoroughly cooking any fish and not consuming fish that
are found dead or appear sickly.
While there has not been a sudden die-off of largemouth
bass at Crawford, fisheries monitoring there revealed a substantial
decline in bass populations the past two years. One result has
been a proliferation of undesirable fish species, such as carp
and bullhead catfish, presumably the result of reduced predation
by largemouth bass.
Anglers can help minimize the spread of LMBV and
other fish diseases and aquatic nuisance species by consistently
applying the following precautions:
- because the virus can live for several hours
in water, clean boats, trailers, and other equipment thoroughly
between fishing trips to keep from transporting undesirable pathogens
and organisms from one water body to another;
- never move fish or fish parts from one body of
water to another, and do not release live bait into any flowing
or impounded water;
- handle bass as gently as possible if you intend
to release them;
- conduct fishing tournaments during cooler weather,
so fish caught will not be excessively stressed; and
- report dead or dying fish to any KDWP office.
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